Tire-building machine.



FI C. MORTON. 'TIRE BUILDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IIJNE 23. i913- RENEWED AUG- 2 |918. 1,298,768.

Patnted Apr. 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-sain l.

' Jimena #al rpc'amorvfozv,

0K/lm M ?cesses j.

rmrrEnv stares narrante ermee.

FREDERIC-C. `MORTON, OF NEW HAITEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF. ONE-HALF FRED BURTON CARLISLE, 0F CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.

TIRE-BUILDING MACHINE.

tjatented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application led .Tune 23, 1913, Serial No. 775,229.- Renewed August 2, 1918. Serial No. 248,072.

ToA all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, FREDERIC C. MoR'roN,

I a citizen of the United States, residing in NegvlHaven, in county of New Haven and State of. Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Tire-Building Machines, of

which the following description, in conneclso.

tion with the accompanying drawings; is a specification, like letters on the drawings re resentingV like parts. v

he present.. invention 'relates to a tire building machine and is embodied in a 'machine for stretchingstrips of tire fabric .and laying them on the surface of. arotatable shaping core. In accordance withthe invention the strips of fabric which may be previously cut tothe right lengths, are attached to the core at one end by adhesion while the core is stationary; and arealso attached at the opposite end to a stretching and tension device'which is independent ofthe core and adapted to stretch the fabric before the core is rotated to lay on the strip. The stretching device is shown as consisting of a tra-vel -ing member adapted to be operated upon by :force exerted means so arranged as to yield to a greater force acting in the opposite direction, so that after the fabric has been stretched to the extent desired, the stretching device operates as a tension device tov maintain the fabric in its stretched condi- `tion While: it is drawn around the core by the rotation thereof, the force utilized to rotate-.the core being greater than that which acts on the starting device.

I haveJ herein shown the tension and stretching device as having an adjustable friction device, one member of which is operated b v a motor for the purpose of` stretching the fabric until the friction is overcome, after which said motor-operated member i and 4drum operate as a tension A y brake but it is obvious that other expedients capable of performing the same functions may .be employed without departing from the invention. The traveling memberto which the fabric is attached is so arranged that any lateral movementof said member is prevented as ittravels toward the core,- the said member thusv constituting means for keeping t-he fabric in true alnement with the periphery of the core.

The invention lfurther relates to certain novel'details' ofvconstruction .and arrangement which will be more fully described hereinafter'.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional detail on a lar er scale, showing the tension device an'dt ie means for adjusting-the tension; F 1g. 4 1s an enlarged transverse sectional detail taken on line X4 of Fig. 1, showing the traveling carriage or slide 'which forms .pat of the stretching and tension device; an

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same on the same scale.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rotatable shaping core l 1s shown as mounted on an axle 2, which isprovided with a worm gear 3, adapted to be driven by a worm 4 on a shaft 5, driven by the motor Gherein shown as an electric motor. As herein shown the worm-gear is loosely mounted on the shaft, but'is adapted to be clutched thereto when the core is.to be rotated by the motor 6; and this construction will be more fully described hereinafter, in connection with its function in the operation. Interposed between the motor G and the shaft 5 is the clutch 7, which is herein shown as amagnetic clutch, so that the motor and the gear can` be connected or disconnected at will. In the use of the machine the strip of fabric, which I have shown as having been previously cut to the desired lengtlnis connectcd respectively with the stretching and tension device and the core on which it is pulled down tight so that it adheres in the usual way. 'The stretching and tension device is herein shown as constructed as foln` lows A slide or carriage 8 is adapted to be-drawn along a guideway 9, in a direction substantially in alinement with the directlon of travel of the periphery of the core .1 and the said slide 8 is first pulled away is in frictional contact with a rotating inembcr 13, shown as a disk mounted on a shaft clutch 18 is shown as the means forconF nectlng the. motor and the geaigso that the i' .two can be connected and disconnecttal without stopping the motor.

The drum 12 and the disk 13 are in frictional contact with each other and the amount of frictional resistance between the two is adjustable so that the proper tension can be obtained. ln the construction shown` the drum 1'2 is mounted directly on the lmb 1f) of the disk 13, and is pushed into contact with the face of the disk by means of a phmger 20. acted upon by a sprine' 21. The tension can be varied by a follower '22 and a screw-threaded stem 23 having an operating crank 2l. At one end is'shown an annular piece of suitable material. such as ln'ake-lining ma terial, interposed between the face of the drum andthe face of the disk. Since it is desirable that the plunger 20 should act-on the, middle ofthe d1un1,'tlie bearing part of the drum is shown as bridged by a washer 2G, which bears against the back of the drum, the. plunger 2() bearing against the face of the washer at the middle.

lVhile the expedient described in the foregoing paragraph is n'ovel and useful`l in that itl combines in one device the means for stretching and the. means for maintaining thealesired tension while the core is rotating, it is obvious that other means might be employed without departing from the iu-` `vent1on, wluch consists broadlyv m combining with a shaping core, devices whereby a. strip of fabric. which is to be wound on the core is stretched uniformly throughout its entire length prior to the winding operation; and maintained in its stretched condition during said winding operation. y

ln order to facilitate the feeding of the material to the machine and the attachment of the strips of fabric prior to such operation, I employ a dummy strip 27 of adhesive fabric, the ordinary tire fabric being suit- -able fort-ho purpose, the said dunnny strip being secured atI one end to ythe 'traveling stretching member. The strip to be operated upon is thus very easily applied to the machine, one end being stuck to the under surface. of the dummy strip and the other on the surface of the core. the ends of t-he strip to be operated 'on being held with sutlicient firmness lb v surface. adhesion.

ln some cases it may be desirable to attach the cut strip of fabric to be used to a dummy strip prior to its application to the.

machine, and l have therefore vshown the dummy striltas readily detachable from thel traveling stretching member. For this purpose the dann-ny strip is provided at one end with a transverse brace 28, herein shown as a piece of fiat metal of a length. equalto or slightly greater than the width of the strip, and having a hole 29 in the middle to hook i over a pin or projection 30 on 'the tension member. 70

The motor 17, after the strip of fabric has been applied to the machine, is connected by the clutch 18 with the driving shaft for the tension disk, and the strip of fabric is stretched until the resistance of the fabric is greater than that of the friction, so that the disk slips witlrrelation to the drum.

lu order that the` attendant may intelligently regulate the tension, the cable l0, in-

stead of being directly connected with the slide. S. may be, and preferably is connected with an indicator 31 shown as an ordinary spring scale` the pointer of which indicates the number of pounds of tension required to overcome the friction. It is v,obvious that,

when thel fabric has been stretched to the extent shown by the scale, the tension will remain approximately uniform, whether the driving disk moves with relation to the drum. or .the drum moves with relation to the disk, provided that the speed or rate of movement is substantially the same. In the next step inthe operation, therefore, the motor 17 is stopped, and the motor 6 is started so that the core 1 is rotated, and the 95 stretched fabric is pulled around the core while a substantially even tension is maintained by the fric-tional Contact between the drum 12 and the disk 13, as the cable 10.

nuwinds. The `speed of the motor 6 and the 10( gear ratio between said motor and the core is preferably such that the drum is caused to rotate at. substantially 'the same rate of speed. as that of the disk while itrwas being rotated in the opposite direction. After the core hasanade a little more than a. complete rotation, so that the entire strip has been laid on and overlapped, the core is stopped, and the shapin operation is then finished by the use of ot ier appliances, which do not enter into this invention.

For a better understanding of this inven tion,` however, it ina-y be stated that the apparatus embodying the invention is intended to `be used in connection with an is desirable that the core should rotate at a.

relatively high speed, and for this, purpose I' have herein shown the. corel as arran ed to n the` 125 be operated at two different speeds. l construction shown. the, shaft Z is directly connected with a comparatively low speed motor 33, one, which may opera-te, for exam.- ple` at a speed of about .200 R. P. M.; and f the worm gear 3 11s loose on the shaft 2, but 'i movable stretching member; and means for attaching said dummy strip to said stretching member.

(3. In a tire building machine, the com-l bination with a rotatable shaping core to receive and shape a strip of fabric; of means for stretching the strip of fabric endwise while the core is stationary with the end of the strip adhering thereto; and a dun'lmy strip forming part of the stretching means and constituting means for attaching the strip of fabric thereto.

7. In a tire building machine the combination with a rotatable shaping core,'of means for stretching` throughout its ent-ire length and maintaining` stretched a strip of fabric long enough when stretched to go around the peripheryofthe said core and overlap at the ends; means for rotating said core to lay the strip thereon; and mea-ns for holding the strip against lateral movement during its travel toward the core.

8. In a tire building machine, the combination with a rotatable shaping core, of means for stretching throughout. its entire length and maintaining stretched a strip of fabric long enough when stretched to go around the periphery of the said core and overlap at the ends; and means for rotating said core to lay the strip thereon.

. 9. The combination with a. core adapted to receive and shape a strip of tire fabric after the end of the strip has been attached to the core by adhesion; of means for rotating said core; a traveling stretching member con nected with the strip of fabric; means fr operating the said stretcning member; and means rfor alternately controllingthe operating means forthe stretching member and the rotating means for the core.

10. In. a tire building machine, a rotatable core for shaping a strip of fabric, a traveling member adapted to be secured to the strip of fabric, a guide for saidtraveling member; and means for adjusting said guide for cores of diiferent sizes.

11. The combination with a rotatable core, of a. traveling member adapted to be connected with a strip of fabric Which is joined by adhesion to the face of the core; a rotatable .drum connected with said member through a flexible cable'wound on'the drum; a disk in frictional' engagement with the f ace of said drum; and means for rotating `said disk.

12. The combination with a core; of a motor adapted to rotate said core; a longitudinally movable stretching and tension device; a motor adapted to cause the longitudinal movement fthereof; and means common to both motors 'for operatively connecting one and disconnecting the other.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERIC C. MORTON.

Witnesses:

J osnrn P. LIVERMORE, JAS. J. MALONEY. 

